Ornate Bichir
Scientific name: Polypterus ornatipinnis
Common name: Ornate Bichir
Size: To 27”, although 18 to 24” is more common in an aquarium
pH: 6.0 to 8.0 although neutral is preferred
Temperature: 77 to 83F (26 to 28C)
Habitat: Western Africa, Zaire(Congo) and Kasai Rivers
When I first saw a picture of an Ornate Bichir, I almost didn’t believe it was really a fish. Looking like something more at home in Jurassic Park than an aquarium, the Ornate Bichir is one of the largest of the prehistoric Polypterid family. It is classified as an “Upper-jaw” bichir, meaning that its upper jaw protrudes over the lower, unlike other members with whom it is the other way round. The Polypterid family dates back to the Cretaceous Period, and its members have remained almost unchanged for nearly 60 million years.
General Characteristics
A striking pattern of black, yellow and various shades of brown give this Bichir it’s common name and make it very easily distinguished from other Bichir species. Unlike the consistent dorsal fin of most other species, all Bichirs have distinct “finlets” between each spine of their dorsal fins, giving them what could almost be described as a Mohawk. There is dispute as the number of dorsal finlets that this species have, but it’s generally between 8 and 11.
Their other most striking characteristic is their posture. Their pectoral and anal fins, unlike the fins of cichlid species, have very thick bases and can function almost like a set of legs, giving these fish the ability to move effectively out of water. Bichirs will often prop up their front ends when stationary, almost like a snake rearing up to look at you. Given the thick and stubby nature of their fins, Bichirs are not great swimmers, relying mostly on their snake-like bodies for some form of aqua-dynamics. They often look very awkward lumbering through the tank, but can certainly move fast enough from ambush when hungry.
Aquarium Set Up
As juveniles, Ornate Bichirs are happy in a tank of around 55 gallons. This size tank will last until they are around 12”, or about a year old. After that, they will need progressively larger tanks, ending up in something around 180 gallons, usually 72” x 24” x 24”. Given their large adult size, they do need a lot of floor space, so if you need to, go for a shallower tank that still has a large footprint.
Ornate’s are generally nocturnal, although some will start to come out and about more in daylight hours as they get older. Decoration in an Ornate tank needs to take that into consideration. Some form of cave or pipe should be provided where the Bichir can retreat to during the day. I found that my Ornate always chose the cave/pipe/crack in the rock that was the snuggest, so try for something that isn’t much wider than the width of your Ornate’s pectoral fins. Apart from that, decoration is really up to the owner. They can be hard on plants, so silk are plastic are generally your best bet there. They can crash around the tank a fair amount, so any other decorations should be well secured.
Another thing that all Bichirs are known for is escaping. Given their primitive nature, they have maintained their rudimentary lung and are capable of breathing atmospheric air for quite some time. Being long and relatively slender, they are quite capable of escaping through even small holes in tank lids. It’s recommended to block up as many holes as possible to prevent unwanted excursions. One story that sticks in my mind is of a large Ornate climbing out the top of his tank and going for a walk across the lounge floor. When the owner arrived home 6 hours after leaving, he was confronted with the sight of his precious Bichir in the middle of the lounge floor being eyed up by his cat. But it seems that the Bichir didn’t fancy being a feline snack and had reared up on its pectoral fins and was proceeding to lunge and hiss at the cat, managing to keep said cat at bay until the owner was able to scoop it up and deposit it back in the safety of its tank.
Given that Bichirs are bottom feeders, rarely swimming in the water column, the substrate should be fine and well-rounded to prevent scratching and to allow for easy cleaning.
Filtration is important to keep the water clean. They are not excessively messy fish, and are reasonably hardy, but clean water will encourage good growth and lessen your chances of having an escape attempt. Water changes once a week will be appreciated with regular gravel vacuums to clean up any food scraps that may have been missed, although a Bichir missing food it can eat is a rare occurance.
Feeding
The Ornate Bichir is a true carnivore and requires appropriate food. Bloodworms, Daphnia and Brine Shrimp are all suitable for youngsters, and as they grow the size of their food can increase. Sub-adults and adults do well on meaty foods like shrimp, fish fillets, silversides and other bait fish, and some shellfish. They are voracious eaters and will often stuff themselves to the point of bursting. This is not such a big problem with juveniles that are still growing quite quickly, but can be a problem in adults. Another problem they seem to suffer from is the “eyes bigger than my stomach” problem. I’ve heard stories of smaller Bichirs choking to death on food items that were too large for them to swallow and they were unable to evacuate the item from their throats. This means that care does need to be taken to make sure any food offered is small enough to be swallowed whole. On a personal note, I’ve found my Ornate Bichir to be very picky about his food, especially in relation to my newer young Senegal Bichir who will literally eat anything that hits the water. It is very rare for a Bichir to take prepared foods, although it does happen some times.
Compatibility
Generally peaceful, Ornates will snack on smaller tank mates if they are foolish enough to venture too close. They may not be fast swimmers or very agile except when retreating from view, but they ambush with the best of them. They are one of the more aggressive of the Bichir family and that aggression is usually turned on other Ornates or any other Bichir species present in the tank. Most of the time it will not progress beyond snapping at each other during feeding, but you do need to be careful given that an Ornate will usually outgrow the other commonly available Bichir species, like the Senegal. Most often, other species from the African rivers where Ornates are found are recommended. More peaceful African cichlids such at Haplochromines are sometimes recommended as well, as they help to fill out the mid water section of a Bichir tank.
Breeding
Breeding is not common in an aquarium, but it has been accomplished. Male and female can be distinguished by the shape of the anal fin once the fish is mature. Males will have a noticeably thicker and wider anal fin than females. The base of the fin looks very fleshy and solid in comparison to a females.
Bichirs are egg-scatterers, so unless you are keeping your Ornates in a species-only tank, it is unlikely that any eggs laid would last very long. Even the parents are potential hazards to newly laid eggs, other Bichir species have been reported as eating the eggs within a few days of laying them. There is no real parental care such as you see in cichlids, so if you’re planning on trying to breed your Bichirs, you’ll need to be extra vigilant to get the eggs to safety before they’re munched on.
Personal Experience
I purchased my Ornate Bichir nearly 18 months ago as a 2.5” midget, who nearly didn’t make it long enough to start growing up in my tank. By the time the courier had delivered the fish, the water in the bag was down to 16C and I was totally convinced that he wouldn’t survive. Proving just how hardy these fish are, and proving me a Doubting Thomas, he continued to thrive, growing to an impressive 15” in those 18 months. The growth came in spurts, much like you see with cats. First he’d thicken up then almost overnight I’d notice he was suddenly longer. Now he’s reached a larger size, his growth is slowing and he’s starting to thicken up dramatically. His head would be close to an inch wide at the widest point. One of my good friends has a much larger Ornate, close to 24”, who’s body is nearly as thick as her wrist.
I have to admit, I’ve found my Ornate to be very wary of people and it is only recently that he has started coming out of his cave when there are people around. This seems to be the norm, although my friend’s lovely large girl is extremely friendly and will often come to the front of the tank to be admired. I’ve been told she’s very unusual in doing this. He’s started to figure out that food comes from me though, and I think this is helping him feel more comfortable around me. He will often come to the front if his cave and stare directly at me when hungry. He’s also pretty picky about his food, which seems to be a common trait in Ornates.
